Belt buckle



Agpil"14, 1953 M. MARINO ,6 8

BELT BUCKLE Filed Sept. 8, 1949 B FIG 4 INVENTOR.

MARIANO MARINO Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES 2,634,482 PATENT OFFICE BELT BUCKLE Mariano Marino, Rochester, N. Y.

Application September 8, 1949, Serial No. 114,589

1 Claim.

This invention relates to buckles and more particularly to belt buckles.

Prior belt buckles of the type in which the free ends of the belts are frictionally gripped in their adjusted position, have not been entirely satisfactory, due to the fact that there has been much slippage of the buckles from their adjusted positions on the belts.

The insertion of the free ends of the belts under the gripping members of such buckles has also been attended with some annoyance due to lack of proper guides leading to the entrances to the gripping members.

The present invention has for its purpose a belt buckle which is of such construction that it possesses greatly superior gripping action whereby the buckle does not slip from its adjusted position on the belt even when the leather or the other material of the belt, has become limp from long usage.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide a belt buckle of sturdy construction to obviate the disadvantages of former devices and to insure many years of reliable service.

The various features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the detailed description and claims when taken with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear view of the buckle of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the buckle taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with fragments of each end of the belt shown in broken lines, the gripping member of the belt bein shown in its operated position by full lines and in its released position by broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the buckle with the gripping member omitted and with a cross section of a belt indicated in broken lines.

The buckle of this invention comprises a face plate 5 and a gripping member 6. The face plate is generally rectangular in outline and has a width slightly greater than that of the belt which it is to fasten. The length of the face plate is somewhat greater than its width although the invention is not limited to this relation. The major portion 1 of each side margin of the face plate as far as the cut 8, is rolled on itself at the rear of the plate with the free edge 9 of the roll preferably abutting the inner surface of the face plate. These rolled margins greatly increase the rigidity of the face plate and provide abutments for the edges of belt B as well as a firm mounting for the gripping member to be described. The remainder ll] of each folded over margin beyond the cut 8, is disposed inwardly and downwardly with the extreme edge thereof in spaced relation to the front plate to overlie the margin of the belt B. This construction serves to retain the belt in the face plate during use and to guide the tip of the belt to the gripping member while the belt is being fastened.

The gripping member, generally designated 6, is in the form of a lever having a long lever arm I! and a short lever arm l2 projecting from the long lever arm at somewhat less than a right angle. This lever is formed at each side of the junction of its lever arms, with pivot pins [4 projecting outward in the principal plane of the lever, to enter the respective opening IS in the rolled edges 1, intermediate of the ends of the face plate. The openings I5 receive the pivot pins [4 with a very loose fit and yet hold the free edge I! of the short lever arm, in its operated position, slightly spaced from the inner surface of the face plate. The space between the free edge I! and the inner surface of the face plate is less than the thickness of the belt to be received therein. The long lever arm H is provided with an opening l8 in which one end of the belt B can be attached. This long lever arm which preferably extends beyond the face plate, is of such length that only a small force need be applied to it in overcoming the relatively large force encountered by the free edge I! of the short lever arm I2 in .biting into the belt. Since the short lever arm has its edge I! at the left of the pivot pins 14 (Fig. 2) any pull on the right end of belt, causes it to bite deeper into the belt thereby insuring no slippage.

What I claim is:

In a belt buckle, a generally rectangular plate having an integral flange projecting from two of its opposed long margins, a major portion of each flange being folded lengthwise on itself with the free edge thereof substantially in contact with the rear surface of the face plate to provide an abutment for an edge of a belt to be received therein, the remainder of each flange being folded to overlap a portion of the rear surface of the face plate in spaced relation thereto whereby the edges of said belt can pass under the overlapping portions of said flanges as guides, an integral lever of fiat material comprising a long lever arm adapted in its operated position to extend substantially parallel to the plane of said face plate and a short arm joined to the long arm at an angle thereto, a pivot on each side of said lever at the junction of said arms, said pivots being mounted in said abutments at substantially the midpoints of said flanges with the free edge of the short arm in its operated position directed toward the inner surface of said face plate in slightly spaced relation therefrom to engage said belt and with the long arm extending beyond the end of the face plate that is remote from said guides.

MARIAN O MARINO References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,457,032 Johnson et al May 29, 1923 1,506,349 Kerngood Aug. 26, 1924 1,784,794 Rosenberg Dec. 9, 1930 

